Your CV is the first document that you’ll use to reach your prospected employer. It is your CV that will secure important interviews and will be the gateway to your new job.

Remember – your CV will speak for and about you, so you will need to ensure that it covers the following topics:

Personal Information

Both personal characteristics and background alike are important to any potential employer, no matter what kind of market you want to enter. Your name should head the document and immediately following that your exact date of birth should be given.

Affix a passport-sized photograph of yourself on the top right corner. If you are seeking opportunities within the Asian market, list your educational accomplishments beginning with the lowest; from elementary to collegiate. Also, mention any foreign languages you are fluent in, relevant classes you are attending, and your travel experiences.

Allow them to stand out in detail in your CV under a separate heading, showing that you are culturally-oriented and part of a global community.

Job History

Some organizations require only job-history specifics. They may want work record certificates and recommendations to be attached directly to the CV. This requirement will differ from country to country.

It is a good idea to inquire exactly what the organization would prefer for you to include in your CV before sending it to them.

Professional History

In most countries outside the United States, you will be required to list in chronological order the professional experience you have obtained or gathered over the year. That means that you begin with the first job you ever had, then the next, and so on and so forth. Your professional experience should be listed in order from the most recent to last in reverse chronological order.

In Britain, for example, employers wish to see your professional experience in reverse order. That means you start with the latest job and work backwards to your first job.

This is similar to the American resume, which is prepared in much the same fashion. It would perhaps be a good idea to find out the preferred chronological order prior to sending it out.

Language Style

Take care not to present your efforts and achievements as individual or singular achievements, but as team efforts. Your accomplishments will have more impact if they were achieved as being part of a team.

This will hold true no matter what the level of your contribution. You can also mention the achievements in phrase form excluding pronouns and verbs, for example: ‘maintained supplies’ should be used instead of saying ‘maintenance of supplies’.

Simple Presentation

Fancy fonts should be avoided altogether. Section titles should be placed in bold fonts. Language and style should be simple and short. Make your CV relevant in style to your level of experience and the job applied for.

By: Tony Jacowski

About the Author:

More often than not, people feel overconfident and treat the approach a bit too casually. However, you should make sure that both the cover letter and the resume are well drafted, so that they make a lasting impression on the reader. They should be planned to stand out in content as well as presentation.

The Importance Of A Good First Impression

The First Impression is usually the Last Impression. In today’s highly competitive world, creating a good first impression is extremely important. This is where the resume plays a very important role in contributing towards success in landing a job. A resume is the most effective tool that can help you win a coveted interview opportunity.

How To Create A Good First Impression

Writing an impressive resume is an important part of your job search preparation. Keep in mind that your resume is indeed a catalog of your abilities. Here are a few steps on how to write a resume that will leave a lasting impression:

- It is very important to create your resume in a professional and appropriate format. There are two basic formats that are used – Functional and Chronological.

- When creating your resume, you can use the free resume forms that are posted on the Internet. However, be careful that your resume doesn’t end up looking like a cookie-cutter template.

- The two most important factors to keep in mind while creating your resume are correct grammar and proper punctuation. Using proper punctuation marks is vital for conveying clear and precise business messages. A resume that contains plenty of grammatical errors creates a bad impression. If you are unable to proofread your own resume, get another professional or a friend to do it for you.

- Make use of industry-oriented words that help you to come across as a highly knowledgeable and professional person.

- Most people think that a comprehensive resume that describes all their past and present achievements is the best way to showcase their skills and expertise. However, this is not true. As a rule, you only need to go back about 5-6 years. Unless you are a recent grad, that job you had in high school is probably irrelevant.

Whether or not you have a professional degree from a coveted institute and are on the lookout for an entry-level position, it is important to market yourself efficiently. Your main aim should be to display your abilities, skill, work experience, educational qualifications, projects, achievements and anything that might work to your advantage.

By: Tony Jacowski

About the Author:

So, you are in the process of creating your resume so you can acquire your dream job. Congratulations! Creating a resume can seem daunting, but has been made easier with the advent of the internet, word processing programs that have different resume format samples and resume software. Anyone with a computer can easily create their own resume, but must be sure to follow the different rules for creating a resume.

One resume tip that is very important is to make sure that you include all of your contact information at the top of your resume. Many people feel that because they are sending along a cover letter, they do not need to include their name, address, phone number and e-mail address at the top of their resume. What many people do not realize is that cover letters often get separated from resumes and there is nothing more frustrating to an employer than receiving a good resume that has all of the qualifications that he or she is looking for in an employee without a name or any contact information.

Another important resume tip is clearly state your objective. The prospective employee may have dozens of ads for employees advertised. How will he or she know what job you are applying for unless you state this in your resume? Under your name and contact information should be a heading about your career objective. You can actually separate this into two categories. One should be for the position which you are seeking. The other can be what you hope to attain in the future. If, for example, you are seeking the position of a newspaper reporter but aspire to be an editor or a features writer, this can be outlined in your resume as employment sought and career objective.

Still another resume tip is to make sure that you do not understate your past experience, including all of the tasks that you performed at your old job, or know how to perform, that pertain to the position which you are seeking. Many people include all of their tasks in a short paragraph, which does not impress many perspective employers. It is better to list all of the tasks and knowledge in bullet point format so that it makes it easier for the employer to see just what you can do. This is not the time to be shy or modest. Highlighting your accomplishments, knowledge and past experience can not be too underestimated when it comes to your resume.

Writing why you left your past job is not necessary to put on your resume. Use this as a tip as this is not necessary at all and considered unprofessional. You will most likely be asked why you left your prior employment during your interview. Do not badmouth your last place of employment, even if your boss was a reincarnation of Attila The Hun. Just say that you are seeking an opportunity for new growth.

Another important resume tip is not to discuss salary on your resume. Do not put down how much you are making at your current job or how much money you expect to earn at the new job. While some employers will ask that you state your salary qualifications in your cover letter, this is never acceptable on a resume. Many employees who ask that prospective employees state their salary requirements in their cover letter tend to pay low wages and do not want to waste their time with anyone who expects to be paid enough money to make a living. Never put salary information on your resume.

Still yet another important resume tip is to make your resume easy to read. Using colored paper, fancy fonts and photos may look really nice, but might seem overwhelming for an employer and they may consider you unprofessional. Use classic formats and traditional fonts to play it safe.

A resume tip that can not be too underestimated is to make sure that you put down your educational experience from the last college or university that you attended to the first. If you have a post graduate degree, that should come first under the Education heading, along with the degree and any awards. Your undergraduate university or college should come second along with degrees and accomplishments. Those with post graduate degrees do not have to put down their high school information.

While you do not want to give your prospective employer a book about your life in the form of a resume, nor do you want to cheat yourself out of outlining your skills and accomplishments. Do not hesitate to make your resume more than one page if your accomplishments, experience and education warrants this. It is better not to underestimate yourself than to keep your resume short and sweet. This is a very important resume tip.

When creating your resume, pay heed of the above resume tips and create a resume that will reflect all of the reasons why you are the correct person for the job as well as a resume that reflects your personality. One valuable resume tip is to be sure that you present your best qualities and allow them to shine through when you are eventually called for an interview.

By: Mario Churchill

About the Author:

Job search and job hunting nowadays is a very competitive and sometimes cut-throat affair. Here are a few tips to help you get the edge in searching for and landing the job of your dreams.

The Curriculum Vitae

The CV or Resume is the first, and at most times the most important part of applying for a job. Since potential employers have to whittle down practically hundreds of applications to a few valid ones, they will have to base their narrowing down efforts using the CVs they have collected.

Studies have shown that about half of the employers decide to accept or reject job applications based on the related work experience listed in the CV. A third of the employers decide to reject or accept these job applications based on the layout design of these applications.

1. Make Your Resume Stand Out

When preparing your resume, make sure your resume stands out among the rest. It should be the type that is appealing to the eyes, making the evaluating personnel want to read the resume. Step two is for you to make sure your resume lists the related work experience you have had in relation to the job you are applying for.

2. Make Your CV Concise and Relevant

Avoid making your resume too long. It may make it irrelevant to the evaluator. Remember that the employer is a person to whom time is important. If your resume shows that you value his/her time while showing the most relevant information in the least amount of time, you will have won one important battle.

3. Always tailor your Resume to the job

You may have had previous experience that may not be related to the job you are applying for. Some people keep many different versions of their resume for different job opening purposes. Make sure your resume is appropriate for the job. A one-size-fits-all resume may not be the best way to go since the employer will have the impression that your previous efforts have not been focused enough to produce any specialization on your part.

4. Write about your achievements

You may add your achievements, but make your statements factual and relevant. It does not do harm to advertise yourself, but make your advertisement matter-of-fact and not just hot air. You may want to skip on listing your weak points as the resume is not the avenue for such discussions.

5. Polish Your Resume

Your employer will know if you have put enough time producing your resume. If he/she sees that you have put sufficient and thorough effort into your resume, he/she will assume that you will do the same in your work. This is a big plus for you. It is not uncommon for some people to spend days or even weeks polishing and buffing their resumes.

By: Sharon Alexander

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Your resume must always attract an employer’s attention at first sight. Hence make the best resume possible using the following resume tips to land your dream job

-Always use attractive titles and heading that match the job profile you want and a great way to do this would be to mention the job titles and skill headings clearly. Maintain the flow and the length of the resume and like a myth, you don’t have to follow the strict rule of writing a resume in one page. You can highlight the headings to make it more presentable

-Employers generally make snap judgments while reading your resume – and if they see an unrelated job profiles or titles or skills then they immediately assume that you are not qualified for the position. Don’t waste your time elaborating on your skills or the headings, as employers don’t have time to waste on each resume and determine whether you have the appropriate skill or experience which they are looking for. The design of your resume must showcase your skills, experience and education at the first glance. At first glance, employers must form an image about your skills and abilities.

-Your resume should be designed to attract the employer’s attention, but it should not be jazzy and should have the complete content and should include all your skills and abilities. These things may land you an interview, as well as determine your salary package that you may receive.

-Always use powerful words and statements to demonstrate or describe your achievements as well as your responsibilities. These points can grab an employer’s attention and elevate your image in front of him or her. The more you specify your positive points, the better. Use powerful words and phrases to control the images that the employers develop about you while reading your resume. Powerful words should match the job profile you are seeking.

-Learn and analyze the key words that employers provide in the advertisements or job descriptions, as this should be the key element in creating powerful and impact oriented resumes.

-Always try and understand and project the employers hidden needs through your resume like for example if an employer needs someone who can handle departments, accounting more efficiently then you should identify it and anticipate the full range of need and show that you can resolve it through your resume.

-Resumes should always provide a list of duties of each applicant without explaining the benefits of the skills to the employers like for example a secretary’s resume should state her typing speed and should also state how it could benefit the new employer. The real benefit of the employee should produce more work and also save the employer money.

-Your resume should create an image of you in front of the employer. When writing your resume, keep in mind the level of the job you are seeking and the salary you are expecting. Always use language according to the position you are seeking.

-Try and prioritize the content of your resume, as this is the most important mistake that is made by many job seekers. Always compile statements according to importance, relevance of the job you want.

-Always try and tweak your resume and cover letter as they can generate many more interviews for you. Try and place the heading to the left hand column for retail management positions.

Try and improve your resume as much as possible – after all, it’s the one that can get you an interview call.

By: Tony Jacowski

About the Author:

Writing a resume can be a daunting task. It’s such a vital part of your toolkit in moving you up to the next level in your career. Here are five essential resume writing tips.

Resume Tip 1

Your resume and cover letter are the first items that will reach an employer’s desk. Therefore, you want them to best reflect you as an applicant and you want them to best reflect you as an applicant. It’s not just the words on the page, its the presentation of those words too. Always print your resume on good quality paper with an easy to read font of at least size 10 and preferably size 12. Always use blank ink, even for headings. Spelling or grammatical errors show a future employer that you are willing to send in sloppy work so keep it neat.

Resume Tip 2

Include all your accomplishments no matter how small. Include the details of the relevant jobs you have done in the past. You should present your work experience in a chronologically descending order i.e. the last company first. This should include the name of the company, your designation and tenure followed by your job responsibilities and achievements.

Resume Tip 3

Employers want to know what you can do for them in language that they will understand and appreciate. This is what the concept of transferability of skills is all about. Employers often receive more than 100 resumes each day; they skim each of these in 7 to 15 seconds. If they see unrelated job titles or skills the likelihood is very high that they will make an immediate assumption that you are not qualified for the job you want.

Resume Tip 4

Remember to see your resume as a marketing tool. Your resume is your personal testament that you are the right person for the job. Remember that your resume is your way of selling yourself to your potential employer. Thus, your resume should have enough substance about your educational attainment, your work skills, any work experience, and what you hope to achieve in this job you are applying for to impress your employer that you are THE candidate for the job.

Resume Tip 5

Accomplishments are probably the most important things you can list on a resume. This is true regardless of how old you are or how much experience you have. Accomplishments are a critical aspect of your resume. Your accomplishments distinguish you from your competitors in the job-search process.

By: Ed Baker

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